City of Perth Noise Survey 2020

Project Background

The City’s Strategic Community Plan 2019 - 2029 identifies thriving and sustainable cultural and artistic industries, activities and events as a strategic Projects priority with the City playing a role in creating vibrancy, activating public spaces and hosting outdoor concerts and cultural events within its parks and reserves.

To ensure the sustainability of events and cultural activities, the City is required to consider the impacts upon, and the needs of its growing residential population. The City of Perth Chief Executive Officer is delegated to approve outdoor concerts that exceed assigned noise levels. The noise associated with outdoor events is prescribed in the Environmental Protection (Noise) Regulations 1997 (‘the Regulations’). Regulation 18(11) states:

“The Chief Executive Officer is not to approve the holding of more than 2 approved events in or at a particular venue in any period of 12 consecutive months unless the Chief Executive Officer is satisfied that the majority of occupiers on whom the noise emissions will impact have no objection to the holding of the additional events.”

Your voice is crucial

To gauge community attitudes towards events in 2020, the City has undertaking a community noise survey, which closed on 3 June 2020.

The City has previously engaged research consultants to conduct community surveys in 2005, 2011, 2014 and 2017. A re-survey is conducted every 3-5 years to ensure that the CEO’s decision making under regulation 18 is aligned with changing expectations of the community.

It is approaching 4 years since the last survey was completed and with the imminent appointment of a new CEO and return of an elected Council in October 2020, it is timely that the community’s expectations be reviewed and acknowledged.